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Prachura, Srinath take sole lead

By P.K. Ajith Kumar

I. Ramya Krishna (left) waiting for Dhyani Dave to make a move in the third round of the girls' under-12 event in the Asian youth chess championsihp at Kozhikode on Monday. — Photo: Ramesh Kurup

KOZHIKODE JUNE 9. The monsoon is here. The nights are a bit cooler, and the days a lot less humid.

But the battle is hotting up in the Asian youth chess championship. At the end of the third round at Hotel Asma Tower on Monday, there are already two sole leaders: P.P. Prachura in the boys' under-12 section, and N. Srinath in the boys' under-10 category.

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son of Vietnam, who poses the biggest threat to an Indian monsoon dream of a clean sweep, Toufiqhi Tamijani Homayoon of Iran and India's G. Rohit are jointly leading the boys' under-14 event. In the girls' 14, Madurai-based J. Rajasurya and Vietnam's Luong Nhat Linh, both giant-killers, share the lead.

In the girls' under-12 section, I. Ramya Krishna and Lakshmi Praneetha are in the lead, and in the under-10 too two Indian girls are at the top — P. Lakshmi Sahithi and J. Mohana Priya. Four rounds remain.

Parimarjan Negi from Delhi, who began the tournament as an overwhelming favourite to retain the under-10 crown, received a minor setback when Iran's Koohestani Mohammed Azad Shahin, whose name seems too big for his tiny frame, held him to a draw.

The girls' under-14 top seed, Mary Ann Gomes was forced to split the point with compatriot M. Rajadarshini.

On the boys' under-14 top board, Truong Son played English Opening against Abhijeet Gupta, one of the host's big hopes, and won in 25 moves, picking up a couple of pawns on the way.

On the adjacent board, Rohit, with black pieces, beat D. Sai Srinivas in 52 moves of Sicilian Richter-Rauzer. The second seed had an extra pawn in a rook-pawn ending.

Prachura surprised second seed S. Karthikeyan in 70 moves of English Opening, after winning a pawn and then a piece. The second board in the boys' under-12 event saw K. Narayanan and Yuzvendra S. Chahal sign the peace treaty after just 14 moves of a Queen's Pawn opening.

Parimarjan's attempt for the full point was thwarted by Shahin, who adopted Sicilian Defence. The Iranian sacrificed his knight — and got it back a couple of moves later — and gave perpetual checks. "He played well to get the draw,'' admitted Parimarjan, his cute face showing few signs of disappointment.

Luong Nhat Linh, who shocked Mary on the opening day, devoured her third straight Indian rival when she beat G. Pratheeka on the girls' under-14 top board. She won in 27 moves of Sicilian Defence, an exchange and a pawn up.

Long before that, on the second board, Rajasurya, on a dream run here, had made short work of H.P. Pallavi Maiya, who employed Sicilian Dragon. Rajasurya, who sacrificed a king-side pawn, romped home in 24 moves, a full rook up, and posted her third consecutive victory over a higher-ranked player.

Ramya beat Dhyani Dave in 37 moves of Reti Opening, while third-seeded Lakshmi Praneetha checkmated Pon. N. Krithika in 45 moves from an Alekhine Defence.

The results (third round; Indians unless specified):

Boys under-14: Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (Vie) 3 bt Abhijeet Gupta 2; D. Sai Srinivas 2 lost to G. Rohit 3; Toufiqhi Tamijani Homayoon (IRI) 3 bt Joshua Tan Hoong Yu (Mal) 1.5; Aswin Jayaram 2.5 bt R. Premnath 1.5; M. Suraj 1.5 lost to Rahul Sangma 2; R. Srinivasan 1 lost to G.N. Gopal 2; Behmardi Kalantari Rostam (IRI) 2 bt Sanchit Chauhan 1; P. Karthikeyan 1 lost to K. Vijay Keerthi 2; T.U. Naveen Kanna 2 bt Nur Sultan Baltabayev (Kaz) 1; P. Saravana Krishnan 1.5 bt G. Balachandar 1; Vishal Shah 1.5 bt K.V. Venprakash 0.5; Akshay Bhor 0.5 lost to Nguyen Viet Chung (Vie) 1.5; I.T. Palawatta (Sri) 1.5 bt T.V. Vijayaraghavan 0.5; Ankit Chauhan 1 bt V. Sandeep 0.5.

Boys under-12: P.P. Prachura 3 bt S. Karthikeyan 2; K. Narayanan 2.5 drew with Yuzvendra S. Chahal 2.5; Le Quang Liem (Vie) 2 bt Swapnil A. Shah 1.5; Y. Sandeep 2.5 bt S. Nitin 1.5; Abhishek Kelkar 2 bt B. Adhiban 1; P. Sai Sashank 1 lost to R. Ashwath 2; Navneet Sharma 2 bt B. Adithya 1; Amogh Kamli 1 drew with R. Adithya Vikas 1; Mofathami Mohammad Reza 1 drew with Sankalp Modwal 1; R. Mahudeeswaran 1.5 bt Abhishek Ravi 0.5; Shakthi Ediweera (Sri) 0 lost to Rollan Mankeyev (Kaz) 1.

Boys under-10: Parimarjan Negi 2.5 drew with Koohestani Mohammed Azad Shahin (IRI) 2.5; Sanjay Dhaval 2 lost to N. Srinath 3; Omkar Sanjay Davate 2.5 drew with K. Priyadarshan 2.5; Chua Zheng Yuan Terry (Sng) 1.5 drew with M.A. Akila Hemal Ratnayake (Sri) 2; Vishal V. Thakre 2 drew with G. Madhukiran 1.5; Fenil Shah 2 bt Maksat Tuietayev (Kaz) 1; Sahaj Grover 1 lost to Viani Antonio D'Cunha 2; S.P. Sethuraman 2 bt A. Balkishan 1; Udesi Aditya 2 bt Lam Thanh Nhon (Vie) 1; Oshadhi Varunjith Kottarachchi 2 bt Shiven Khosla 1; Wong Tsui Hern Daryl (Sng) 1 lost to S. Ravi Teja 2; Ankit R. Rajpara 1 bt Christopher Jon Alpin (Sng) 0.5; Mirzaei Saleh (IRI) 1.5 bt Chan Yi Ren Daniel (Sng) 0; R. Eswar 1 bt Fong Yip Siang (Mal) 0; Hareesh Babu Kandi bye.

Girls under-14: G. Pratheeka 2 lost to Luong Nhat Linh (Vie) 3; J. Rajasurya 3 bt Pallavi Maiya 2; Anjana N. Sowjanya 1.5 lost to Pham Bich Ngoc (Vie) 2.5; Mary Ann Gomes 1.5 drew with M. Rajadarshini 1.5; H. Sowmya 1 lost to Ketaki Kulkarni 2; Soumya Swaminathan 1.5 drew with Kiran Monisha Mohanty 1.5; Yasoda Gamage 1 lost to Saheli Nath 2; N. Raghavi 1 lost to S. Roshni 2; V.K. Sindhu 1.5 drew with Sia Xin Yun Suzanna (Sng) 1; S. Harini 1.5 bt Kajri Choksi 0; Saba A. Mhate 0.5 drew with K. Nayana Rao 0.5.

Girls under-12: I. Ramya Krishna 3 bt Dhyani Dave 2; Lakshmi Praneetha 3 bt Pon. N. Krithika 2; R. Aparna 1.5 lost to P.K. Jayasree 2; Gayatri M. Velu 1 lost to Ngo Dieh Hoa (Vie) 2.5; Bhakti Kulkarni 2 bt K.S. Ratnamanikyam 1; Udan Vindya Hemanthage (Sri) 1.5 drew with Manogna 1.5; Indrani 0 lost to M. Pragna Patvi 2; Dhara Gupta 1 bt 1 bt K. L. Aswathi Wallawita (Sri) 0.

Girls under-10: J. Mohana Priya 3 bt Kiruba H. Arasu 2; P. Lakshmi Sahithi 3 bt Rucha Pujari 2; Adeline Gan Li Ling (Mal) 1 lost to V. Chaitanya 2.5; V. Bhavana 2 bt Nguyen Ngoc Phuong (Vie) 1; Gundala Madanasri 1 lost to Pranali Patil 2; U.G.S.S.S. Udupitiya (Sri) 1 lost to Sai Nirupama Kotepally 1.5; Rausha Abykassymova (Kaz) 0 lost to G. Sirisha 1; Teenu Thomas Thaliyath 1 bt C.H. Savetha 0.

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